The wildly popular Rock 'n' Roll marathon series would have taken off even without Arizona's spectacular participation.But P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, which celebrates its 10th year next Sunday, is for many the race that proved the musical- marathon concept had the legs, literally and figuratively, to fuel a new running boom in the United States. Since its 2004 debut as the world's largest first-time annual running event, Rock 'n' Roll Arizona has been a star fixture in a series that began six years earlier in San Diego and now includes 26 North American and six European cities. The fun-and-run event, which emphasizes entertainment and experience for the masses over fast times by elite runners, attracted more than 29,000 runners to its first edition.

Shalane Flanagan, a record-setting track star who this weekend at the ING New York City Marathon will make her long-anticipated debut at the 26.2-mile distance, sat down two months ago to a dinner in this idyllic mountain town nearly 3,000 miles from the streets of New York.

Twenty-five years ago, Joan Benoit Samuelson, who had won the first women's Olympic marathon the year before, made more history by winning the 1985 Chicago Marathon in an American-record time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 21 seconds. That record stood for 18 years. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the race, Samuelson, along with 1985 men's winner Steve Jones, will run in the 33rd Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10. Samuelson, 53, who lives in Freeport, Maine, spoke with USA TODAY's David Leon Moore.